As you desired me to send you, in writing, some directions how to conduct
yourself in your Christian course, I would now answer your request. The
sweet remembrance of the great things I have lately seen at S - , inclines
me to do any thing in my power, to contribute to the spiritual joy and
prosperity of God's people there.

1. I would advise you to keep up as great a strife and earnestness in
religion, as if you knew yourself to be in a state of nature, and were
seeking conversion. We advise persons under conviction, to be earnest and
violent for the kingdom of heaven; but when they have attained to conversion,
they ought not to be the less watchful, laborious, and earnest, in the
whole work of religion, but the more so; for they are under infinitely
greater obligations. For want of this, many persons, in a few months after
their conversion, have begun to lose their sweet and lively sense of spiritual
things, and to grow cold and dark, and have 'pierced themselves through
with many sorrows;' whereas, if they had done as the apostle did, (Philippians
3:12-14.) their path would have been 'as the shining light, that it shines
more and more unto the perfect day.'

2. Do not leave off seeking, striving, and praying for the very same
things that we exhort unconverted persons to strive for, and a degree of
which you have had already in conversion. Pray that your eyes may be opened,
that you may receive sight, that you may know yourself, and be brought
to God's footstool; and that you may see the glory of God and Christ, and
may be raised from the dead, and have the love of Christ shed abroad in
your heart. Those who have most of these things, have need still to pray
for them; for there is so much blindness and hardness, pride and death
remaining, that they still need to have that work of God wrought upon them,
further to enlighten and enliven them, that shall be bringing them out
of darkness into God's marvelous light, and be a kind of new conversion
and resurrection from the dead. There are very few requests that are proper
for an impenitent man, that are not also, in some sense, proper for the
godly.

3. When you hear a sermon, hear for yourself. Though what is spoken
may be more especially directed to the unconverted, or to those that, in
other respect, are in different circumstances from yourself; yet, let the
chief intent of your mind be to consider, 'In what respect is this applicable
to me? and what improvement ought I to make of this, for my own soul's
good?'

4. Though God has forgiven and forgotten your past sins, yet do not
forget them yourself: often remember, what a wretched bond-slave you were
in the land of Egypt. Often bring to mind your particular acts of sin before
conversion; as the blessed apostle Paul is often mentioning his old blaspheming,
persecuting spirit, and his injuriousness to the renewed; humbling his
heart, and acknowledging that he was 'the least of the apostles,' and not
worthy 'to be called an apostle,' and the 'least of all saints,' and the
'chief of sinners;' and be often confessing your old sins to God, and let
that text be often in your mind, (Ezekiel 16:63.) 'that thou mayest remember
and be confounded, and never open thy mouth any more, because of thy shame,
when I am pacified toward thee for all that thou hast done, saith the Lord
God.'

5. Remember, that you have more cause, on some accounts, a thousand
times, to lamest and humble yourself for sins that have been committed
since conversion, than before, because of the infinitely greater obligations
that are upon you to live to God, and to look upon the faithfulness of
Christ, in unchangeably continuing his loving-kindness, notwithstanding
all your great unworthiness since your conversion.

6. Be always greatly abased for your remaining sin, and never think
that you lie low enough for it; but yet be not discouraged or disheartened
by it; for, though we are exceeding sinful, yet we have an Advocate with
the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous; the preciousness of whose blood,
the merit of whose righteousness, and the greatness of whose love and faithfulness,
infinitely overtop the highest mountains of our sins.

7. When you engage in the duty of prayer, or come to the Lord's supper,
or attend any other duty of divine worship, come to Christ as Mary Magdalene
did; (Luke 7:37, 38.) come, and cast yourself at his feet, and kiss them,
and pour forth upon him the sweet perfumed ointment of divine love, out
of a pure and broken heart, as she poured the precious ointment out of
her pure broken alabaster box.

8. Remember, that pride is the worst viper that is in the heart, the
greatest disturber of the souls peace, and of sweet communion with Christ:
it was the first sin committed, and lies lowest in the foundation of Satan's
whole building, and is with the greatest difficulty rooted out, and is
the most hidden, secret, and deceitful of all lusts, and often creeps insensibly
into the midst of religion, even, sometimes, under the disguise of humility
itself.

9. That you may pass a correct judgment concerning yourself, always
look upon those as the best discoveries, and the best comforts, that have
most of these two effects: those that make you least and lowest, and most
like a child; and those that most engage and fix your heart, in a full
and firm disposition to deny yourself for God, and to spend and be spent
for him.

10. If at any time you fall into doubts about the state of your soul,
in dark and dull frames of mind, it is proper to review your past experience;
but do not consume too much time and strength in this way: rather apply
yourself, with all your might, to an earnest pursuit after renewed experience,
new light, and new lively acts of faith and love. One new discovery of
the glory of Christ's face will do more toward scattering clouds of darkness
in one minute, than examining old experience, by the best marks that can
be given, through a whole year.

11. When the exercise of grace is low, and corruption prevails, and
by that means fear prevails; do not desire to have fear cast out any other
way, than by the reviving and prevailing of love in the heart: by this,
fear will be effectually expelled, as darkness in a room vanishes away,
when the pleasant beams of the sun are let into it.

12. When you counsel and warn others do it earnestly, and affectionately,
and thoroughly; and remember, you are speaking to your equals, let your
warnings be intermixed with expressions of your sense of your own unworthiness,
and of the sovereign grace that makes you differ.

13. If you would set up religious meetings of young women by yourselves,
to be attended once in a while, besides the other meetings that you attend,
I should think it would be very proper and profitable.

14. Under special difficulties, or when in great need of, or great longings
after, any particular mercy, for yourself or others, set apart a day for
secret prayer and fasting by yourself alone; and let the day be spent,
not only in petitions for the mercies you desire, but in searching your
heart, and in looking over your past life, and confessing your sins before
God, not as it wont to be done in public prayer, but by a very particular
rehearsal before God of the sins of your past life, from your childhood
hitherto, before and after conversion, with the circumstances and aggravations
attending them, and spreading all the abominations of your heart very particularly,
and fully as possible, before him.

15. Do not let the adversaries of the cross have occasion to reproach
religion on your account. How holy should the children of God, the redeemed
and the beloved of the Son of God, behave themselves. Therefore, 'walk
as children of the light, and of the day,' and 'adorn the doctrine of God
your Savior;' and especially, abound in what are called the Christian virtues,
and make you like the Lamb of God: be meek and lowly of heart, and full
of pure, heavenly, and humble love to all; abound in deeds of love to others,
and self-denial for others; and let there be in you a disposition to account
others better than yourself.

16. In all your course, walk with God, and follow Christ, as a little,
poor, helpless child, taking hold of Christ's hand, keeping your eye on
the marks of the wounds in his hands and side, whence came the blood that
cleanses you from sin, and biding your nakedness under the skirt of the
white shining robes of his righteousness.

17. Pray much for the ministers and the church of God; especially, that
he would carry on his glorious work which he has now begun, till the world
shall be full of his glory."